Support Group For Single Parents
by Sara1991
Summary: This also includes Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, & Tokyo Mew Mew. 6 single parents meet in a support group. Some of them become close friends; some find new love & some just wants to be left alone. Now edited with Grammarly. More Inside... Rated M for language. This will also under other anime tabs...
1. Chapter 1

This is an assignment I was given. (See in notes if you want to know what I mean)

6 single parents meet in a support group. Some of them become close friends (as do their kids), some find new love & some (1) was tricked/forced into going & just wants to be left alone (or so they think)

* * *

A.N.: So…if you've read my other stories, you know I have arthritis, depression & mild anxiety & I tend to get writer's block often & start new stories…I'm also a spaz & have the problem of writing down every idea I get… But anyways…I had an accident in the kitchen & had to go to the ER…bla bla bla. I am now being forced to go to a support group with real people; not online. (Apparently it would be good for me to get out with other people…) Anyways, I had my first session the other day…long story short (I know…too late) they give assignments like we're in school… But that's not important… But we each have an individual assignment due at the end of our "treatments." It's mandatory as we had to tell them our hobbies. I guess they do that to make sure what we like working with (they're worried about someone who has hobbies using knives & whatnot…like wood carving for example) So we all have an individual assignment due at the end of our "treatment." I have to write a story & draw or paint a picture. & of course we don't get to pick what we want to do our hobby on… I have to pick a support group (not depression or anxiety or arthritis) & create a short story using that. I also have to draw a picture a day in a sketchbook everyday on how I feel at that moment. I chose "single parents" support group.

I apologize for the babble…I'm really bad with that…

Just so you all know, this will not be perfect (much like my other works…) so I'll apologize now for spelling/grammar issues that you will most likely see.

* * *

Ryou-32

-Kota & Niko-15

-Zenji-10

-Koji-7

-Haru & Momo-3

Trunks-32

-Teddy-16

-Knickers-12

-Lily-3

Sesshomaru-35

-Hina & Hana-8

Kagome-26

-Kai-10

-Iyo-7

Usagi-25

-Chibiusa-8

Tohru-25

-Hajime-9

-Kyoko & Kazuma-6

-Teia-3

* * *

"This will be good for you." Some people said to their best friends as they walked into a building.

"Sure…" Six others said, waving back.

"Well, this certainly is a small group." A lady with short, choppy brown hair and brown eyes, with glasses, said, walking into a room where six random people stood.

"Is that a bad thing?" A man with short blonde hair and blue eyes asked, looking at the lady.

"No, of course not. On the contrary, it's quite nice; all of my other groups are quite large." The lady said with a smile.

"So, wait. We're really the only ones in this group?" Three girls asked, somewhat shocked.

One of the girls had long brown hair and brown eyes

One girl had long black hair and brown eyes

The final girl had very long blonde hair tied up in pigtails with buns and blue eyes.

There were two other guys in the room as well; one of them had shoulder-length violet hair and blue eyes while the other had long silver hair and golden eyes.

"Are we the last group of the night?" The man with violet hair asked, looking at the lady.

"Yes, you are. Now, why don't we all grab a chair, get situated, and get to know one another." The lady said as she led them to a circle of chairs.

"Do we really have to sit in a circle?" The man with long silver hair asked, annoyed.

"Yes; it's how I work. Now, because this is a smaller group you don't have to sit right next to each other; we'll do every other chair. I don't have a whole lot of rules, but I do have some; one of them is girls to my right and guys to my left. My other rules are pretty simple as well." The lady in charge calmly said as she sat down; the group followed suit.

"So what are your rules?" The blonde man asked as they all got sat down.

"We'll start with introductions are a must as is the reason you are here. Which, if you're in the right place, you should be here because for one reason or another, you're all single parents. So, since this is the first day, you'll all tell us who you are, your age, why you're a single parents and how long. I would also like to know how many kids you have along with their names and ages. Keep in mind, this is a safe space; you can share and not feel like you're being judged." The lady said with a smile.

After a few minutes of looking around, she took a deep breath and started speaking again.

"I'll start us out. My name is Raina Takashi and I am forty-six. I have been married three times since I was sixteen. However, currently, I am technically single. What I mean by that, is that I'm currently engaged—this time to a wonderful woman; I have been out for the last ten years. I have twelve wonderful children:

**. **Nina-thirty

**. **Hale-twenty-seven

**. **Kay and Koi-twenty-four

**. **Sanji and Sakura-twenty

**. **Miwa-seventeen

**. **Len-fourteen

**. **Gon-twelve

**. **Tami-nine

**. **Rika and Nika-seven.

"My partner has two kids of her own—but that's her business, not mine. I also have nine grandchildren. Nina, Hale, Kay, Koi, Sanji, and Sakura all have the same father; he unfortunately died in a car accident when a drunk driver slammed into him. Miwa, Len, and Gon have the same father—I left him after I caught him in bed with one of my students. And finally Tami, Rika, and Nika all have the same father—I finally left him when he started beating on me and the kids. By that time, Nina, Hale, Kay, and Koi had all moved out. I teach at a private high school from seven in the morning until eleven in the afternoon before coming here for groups." The lady, Raina, explained with a smile.

"What groups are you in?" The girl with long blonde hair asked, raising her hand.

"Well, I run support groups for AA, Abuse, Loss, and of course Single Parents." Raina answered happily.

"Is that all?" The silver-haired man asked in disbelief.

"Yep." Raina replied, still with a smile on her face.

"How do you make time for your kids?" The black-haired girl asked, confused.

"Well, I get here by 11:05 (by car) and AA starts at 11:15; that runs for about an hour before moving onto the next group. All of my groups are finished by 3:15; so I'm done and out by the time my kids are done with school. My oldest six have all moved out and either started families of their own or are starting their own lives. My middle three are at the ages where they would rather hang out with friends or be left alone. But my youngest three always want to spend time with me. But that's enough about me; let's get to know all of you. I'd like to start with the guys; starting with the young man next to me." Raina said, looking at the blonde man.

"Ok. Well, my name is Ryou Shirogane; I am thirty-two and a single father to six children. I have five sons, Kota and Niko-fifteen, Zenji-ten, Koji-seven, and Haru-three and one daughter, Momo-three. If you haven't figured it out by their ages, Kota and Niko are twins, Zenji and Koji are singles and Haru and Momo are also twins. I've been in a few relationships, but only two of those relationships resulted in my kids. Kota and Niko are the result of a one-night stand on the anniversary of my parents' deaths. I didn't find out about them until they were about half a year old when she overdosed on something or other; I was seventeen. When they were about two, I started dating the girl of my dreams, Ichigo Momomiya; we got married when the twins turned four. A few months after that, she legally adopted them. And four months after that, she gave birth to Zenji. Three years after that she gave birth to Koji. We had four sons. I asked if she was done; she replied with, she wanted at least one daughter. So four years later we tried again; the ultrasound read that we were having another boy. Eight months later she went into labor—early—we ended up having twins—a boy and a girl: Haru and Momo. Six months after that, Ichigo was brutally murdered while hanging out with her friends. As much as I'd like to move on—I currently can't. And—I don't know if I ever will." The blonde man, Ryou, explained calmly. All the girls in the room were crying while Trunks and Sesshomaru stared at him.

"Well, we're all sorry to hear about your wife; know we're all here for you. So, Ryou; how did you find out about my support group for single parents?" Raina asked, looking directly at Ryou's eyes.

"I went searching—I had seen a flyer hanging around the high school Kota and Niko just started at; so, I looked it up online." Ryou replied simply.

"Ok. I'm glad you're here. Moving onto the gentleman next to Ryou." Raina said with a smile.

"My name is Trunks Briefs; I'm a thirty-two-year-old single father to three kids. Like Ryou, I am a teen father. My oldest daughter was born when I was sixteen; her name is Teddy and she is currently sixteen. I had her with my then girlfriend Mai; she later cheated on me and went back to the gang I worked so hard to get her out of—she is now dead. Somewhere in the next year or so I started having one-night stands—one of them ended up pregnant. His mother didn't want him as she was supposed to be celibate or whatever—so, she signed away her rights. She did, however, demand a lot of money before signing her rights away. His name is Knickers and he is now twelve. After Knickers was born, I decided I was going to stop having one-night stands and be a father to my children. Well, seven years went by and I had to travel for work. Long story short; I got drunk, met a young girl and things just went from there. That's when I got Lily, who is now three. Her mother wanted absolutely nothing to do with her, so she signed over her rights right away. Her parents, however—they fought tooth and nail to get custody. They lost. And for personal reasons they don't get to see her. Now I work for my mom and no longer travel. Now I only drink at home and I haven't had a one-night stand since Lily was conceived." The violet haired man, Trunks, explained calmly.

"Good for you. Keep on keeping on. How did you find out about my support group?" Raina asked with a smile.

"Oh, right. My mom told me about it." Trunks replied simply.

"Now it's your turn." Raina happily said as she looked from Trunks to the man with long silver hair.

"I guess I have no choice. My name is Sesshomaru Ikashi; I'm thirty-five and I have two daughters: Hana and Hina-both eight—so they're obviously twins. I'm not a teen father. Their mother's name was Rin; she died during childbirth. I'm only here because I lost a bet to my half-sister I didn't know about until about nine years ago; she's twenty-one—and very nosey. Oh, and I know Kagome; she's dating my brother—so, I don't know why she's here." The silver-haired man, Sesshomaru said, annoyed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, I'm glad you're here either way. So your name must be Kagome; please tell us why you're here." Raina said with a nervous smile.

"Gladly. I'm Kagome Higurashi; I'm twenty-six and a teen mother—twice. I had my son Kai at sixteen; he is now ten. I then had my daughter Iyo at nineteen; she is now seven. As Sesshomaru so politely pointed out, I was dating his brother Inuyasha—up until four years ago when he cheated on me with my sister, Kikyo. They moved to a countryside about eight hours away. He wants nothing to do with Kai or Iyo—even though, Iyo is kind of named after his mother Izayoi. He doesn't call or even write them. They both ask where he is and why he doesn't show up; I don't know what to tell them. I've been wanting to get a hold of Sesshomaru so that the kids can play with their cousins; but I always chicken out. Yes, while I'm a single mother, I would like to move on and meet a man who will help me and accept my kids. Also, I found out about this group through my friends Sango and Miroku." Kagome said calmly—or as calmly as she could—shocking Sesshomaru.

"You've come to the right place; I'm so glad to have you here. And it seems to me that Sesshomaru had no clue that any of that happened to you. I mean, about his brother and all that." Raina said with a nervous smile.

"No, he didn't; he's almost impossible to get a hold of." Kagome answered right away.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time after introductions to talk to him and everything. Hopefully, the kids will be able to see each other and hang out. But for now, moving on. You're next." Raina happily said as she looked at the girl with long blonde hair.

"Hi, I'm Usagi Tsukino and I'm a twenty-five-year-old, single mother to an obnoxious eight-year-old named Chibiusa. Don't get me wrong or anything, I love Chibiusa very dearly; she just likes to try my patience—a lot. I was only seventeen when I had her. Mamoru, her father—was twenty-one and was my fiancé; he died in a motorcycle accident a few months ago. She was very close with her father—and ever since he passed away, she's been acting up more. Except for when she's with my friends or at school; she behaves for everyone else except for me. I feel like she thinks that she's the only one who misses him. But that's not true—I miss him more than anything; he was the love of my life. I just wish she'd listen to me. It's not like I'm ever going to replace her father with anyone else; I could never do that. Like Mr. Sesshomaru, I wasn't planning on coming here today; my friends made me come; one of them even escorted me here. As to how they found out about this group, I don't know. But—I am kind of glad I came today." The blonde girl, Usagi, said with a soft smile and tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Usagi… It's ok; you're with friends now. I'm so glad you're happy you came; I promise you won't regret it. We're all here to listen—when it's your turn to speak. It is important that everyone has a chance to speak. Which brings me to our final member of the group. Now it's your time to speak." Raina said, smiling at the girl with long brown hair.

"Of course! Umm… Right! I'm Tohru Sohma—Tohru Honda? I'm sorry; I'm not sure how last names work after the husband dies; his name was Kyo. I'm currently twenty-five, but I guess I'm still considered a teen mom. Kyo and I had our first son when we were sixteen: we named him Hajime and he is now nine years old. And then when we were nineteen, we had twins: Kyoko and Kazuma; they are now six. Also, they are named after my mother and Kyo's adopted father; they've both passed away as well. My father passed away when I was really little—but I don't really remember him. But anyway—when we were twenty-two, we had our final daughter, Teia, who is three. Kyo passed away a year and a half ago; he was on his way home from the dojo when he was hit by a car. He didn't die right away; he held on until the kids and I were able to see him one last time. It's been hard—but Hajime helps out a lot—so do my two best friends, Uo and Hana. And of course all of Kyo's cousins help out when they can. I'm so happy to be here! Hopefully, I'll make some new friends." The brunette girl, Tohru, said with a smile.

"I'm so happy you're here as well. And that is a goal I hope to achieve—for you all to hopefully get along and maybe even become friends. Can I ask how you found out about this particular group?" Raina asked with a smile.

"Oh, of course! Kyo's cousin, Hatori told me about it; he said it could help and that it wouldn't hurt to try it." Tohru said with a smile.

"Well, now that we got introductions out of the way we can get onto everything else." Raina said happily.

"There's more?" Sesshomaru asked in shock.

"Of course. You've never been to one of these types of groups, have you?" Raina asked, looking at Sesshomaru.

"Is it that obvious?" Sesshomaru asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

"I'd just give up if I were you; he's incredibly stubborn. He doesn't want to be here—and from what I've learned in the past, if he doesn't want to do something, he won't—he never does." Kagome said, looking from Raina to Sesshomaru.

"Oh—well, I won't force you to stay if you don't wish to. I would love to help you, but it's never my intention to force someone to do something they absolutely don't want to do." Raina said, very serious.

"No, I'll stay." Sesshomaru simply said as he sat up straight.

"You don't have to do that; you're clearly unhappy about it. You don't have to prove anything to me." Kagome said seriously.

"You're right; I don't have to prove anything to you. But I do need to be a better parent to my twins. So, I'm doing this for them, not you." Sesshomaru said seriously, annoyed.

"Well, it looks like we're off to a good start. Seeing as we have six in the group—and it's even with three fathers and three mothers, we'll start with our first exercise." Raina started slowly, before perking up again.

"Ok." Everyone said, looking at her suspiciously.

"So, normally, with my larger groups I pair two people together so they can get to know each other better." Raina started, only to be interrupted by Usagi.

"You mean like in high school? Will we have to explain to the entire group what we learn about each other?" Usagi asked, horrified.

"No, of course not. This exercise is simply to pair you up with a partner of my choosing so that you can have a buddy. Your buddy will be the one person you can go to and hopefully be able to tell everything to when you're not here sharing with the group. And yes, if you plan to stay in this group, you will participate in all group activities—Mr. Sesshomaru." Raina said with a smile.

"So how does this all work?" Ryou asked calmly.

"I'm so glad you asked. After I pair you up, you'll go off to different areas of the room and start to get to know your buddy." Raina said with a smile.

"Fine. I'll take Kagome. Come on." Sesshomaru simply said as he stood up.

"Uh… Umm… Ok…" Raina said in complete and utter shock.

"I thought she was supposed to pick who we were going to be paired with." Usagi said in shock, looking after Sesshomaru and Kagome.

"At this point—as long as he's participating—Raina's not going to argue who he's partnered up with." Ryou said calmly.

"Yeah, and it seems like they need to talk about something serious; Raina sees that as well." Trunks said, sitting there with his arms folded across his chest.

"Agreed." Ryou and Tohru said with smiles, while Usagi sat there confused.

"So—now what?" Usagi asked, looking at a very shocked Raina.

"Right. Sorry about that. Well, it seems Mr. Ikashi and Ms. Higurashi are a pair…" Raina said absentmindedly.

"What was your plan originally?" Tohru asked softly.

"I was going to group all the guys in a group and the girls in another group. But this works too. So, Ms. Sohma and Ms. Tsukino—why don't you two pair up while Mr. Briefs and Mr. Shirogane pair up?" Raina asked, looking at the four remaining members.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Ryou and Trunks shrugged as they got up and walked over to a spot.

"Ok." Tohru and Usagi said happily as they too went to find a spot…


	2. Chapter 2

**With Ryou & Trunks:**

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Trunks asked as he and Ryou sat in a corner.

"I guess we're supposed to get to know one another." Ryou sighed.

"I'm sorry about your wife." Trunks said right away.

"Thank you. I'm sorry that your girlfriend cheated on you—and that you've had such a hard time finding love." Ryou said calmly, awkwardly.

"It's fine. I have my kids—and right now, that's all that matters to me." Trunks said, shrugging.

"That's a great way to look at it." Ryou said calmly.

"What about you?" Trunks asked calmly.

"My kids are my everything." Ryou said, looking at Trunks.

"Before, you said you had six kids?" Trunks asked, looking at Ryou, kind of shocked.

"Mmmhmm. Two sets of twins and two singles; Kota, Niko, Zenji, Koji, Haru and Momo. Yes, it's not easy some days—especially not having Ichigo around. But as I said before, Kota and Niko help out quite a bit. And honestly, Zenji and Koji are the troublemakers. Don't get me wrong or anything; they're all good kids. But those two like to test my patience. But Kota and Niko were like that as well." Ryou said with a smile.

"What about Haru and Momo?" Trunks asked, genuinely interested.

"At the moment they're the easiest to deal with. Honestly, without Ichigo, I thought it was going to be harder—and at first it was. But as time went on, it got easier. And I just had to remember, I had Kota and Niko on my own for a while. Haru, however, is getting to the stage where he doesn't like to listen. Momo, she's definitely the best behaved. But she has health issues and was in and out of the hospital all last year. She's also autistic and has ADD and OCD; Haru has ADHD. But anyway, let's hear about your kids; you said you have three. Do you want more?" Ryou asked, looking at Trunks.

"Yes, I have three: Teddy, Knickers, and Lily. I was sixteen when Teddy was born; Mai was eighteen. Now Teddy is sixteen and has a boyfriend—but he's a good kid. I can't really say anything because I started having sex at fifteen, but I really hope she's not having sex yet. She's a good girl though; she helps out a lot around the house—not so much with Knickers and Lily. Being twelve, Knickers is at that rebellious age. You said your two sons, Zenji and Koji were testing your patience—and then you apologized. There's really no need to apologize. I know what you're going through; Knickers is always testing my patience as well. As for Lily—she is also autistic with ADD. You said Haru and Momo are three? Maybe, once we get to know each other better, we should set up a playdate." Trunks suggested after explaining.

"That sounds like a great idea; Haru and Momo could use a friend—besides each other. That Tohru girl—she has a three-year-old as well, doesn't she?" Ryou asked, looking at Trunks.

"I think so…" Trunks said, thinking as he trailed off.

"Maybe we should see if she'd like to come hang out as well?" Ryou asked, looking at Trunks.

"We can ask. I mean, the worst she can do is say no, right?" Trunks asked, looking around.

"So where, city-wise, do you live?" Trunks asked after a few minutes.

"We live out in the country, just outside of West City. You?" Ryou asked, looking at Trunks.

"We live in West City; but I want to move to the country." Trunks explained calmly.

"What's stopping you? Your kids?" Ryou asked, confused.

"No. The kids actually want to move out there. Teddy would be closer to her boyfriend. Knickers would have a space where he can run around and get rid of all that extra energy. And Lily, well she just wants to be where I am. That—and they all want a pet of some sort; Teddy wants a rabbit or two, Knickers wants puppies, and Lily just wants a kitten. As for what's stopping me. It's much, much worse—it's my mom." Trunks explained.

"Ahh…" Ryou sighed.

"I love her, but I can't stand living in the city anymore. Was your mom like that?" Trunks asked, looking at Ryou.

"Very much so; she was very attentive. So was my dad—when he wasn't busy with work. But he was there for me when I needed him. As I said before, Kota and Niko were conceived on the anniversary of their deaths; they both died in a house fire when I was ten." Ryou explained calmly.

"Jeez… I'm so sorry." Trunks said right away.

"No; don't be. I have my memories of them; and I know they're always with me in my heart. That's all that really matters to me." Ryou said calmly.

"Do the kids have any grandparents left alive?" Trunks asked, curious.

"Yes. Ichigo's parents, Sakura and Shintaro, are still very much alive; they are very helpful as well. They actually have Haru and Momo right now; the others are all in school. Where's Lily?" Ryou explained and then asked.

"Lily's with a sitter. When she can't be with me, she's usually with my dad; she absolutely loves him. Well, she loves both my parents; but there's just something about my dad. But anyway, Dad had something he had to do, and my mom had to go to some important science meeting thing in North City. Yes, her other grandparents are alive; but they are currently in jail for kidnapping Lily a week after she turned two." Trunks said calmly.

"Yep; that'll do it. I wouldn't let people like that in my kids' lives either." Ryou said as they sat back and sighed; they got along pretty well.

**With Tohru & Usagi:**

"So—what do you want to talk about?" Usagi asked as she and Tohru sat down.

"Oh, ummm… What's it like to only have one child?" Tohru asked after thinking for a few seconds.

"Crazy. I can't imagine dealing with more than that on my own. I mean I'm glad you and the others can; I just don't know how you can." Usagi admitted causing Tohru to giggle a little.

"There's never a dull moment, that's for sure. To be completely honest, I don't know how you can only have one. I mean, I understand why you only have one, but—" Tohru started, but stopped, not wanting to upset or offend Usagi.

"I get what you mean—and it's ok." Usagi said with a sad smile.

"Do you ever think you'll be able to move on to someone new?" Tohru asked after a few minutes.

"I don't know. If I do or were to move on, it'd have to be someone really special. What about you?" Usagi said seriously and then asked.

"I don't know. The last time the kids and I talked to Kyo, he asked that we never forget about him, but to move on and be happy." Tohru said softly, looking directly into Usagi's eyes.

"Yeah… Mamoru said something kind of like that too apparently. He died before Chibiusa and I could get to the hospital to see him one last time; he had told the nurse to tell us to be happy and move on." Usagi said sadly, remembering what the nurse had told her.

"I'm so sorry." Tohru sadly said as she took Usagi's hand in hers.

Soon both the girls were crying.

"I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me." Tohru said softly.

"Oh no, I'm sorry; I don't normally let my emotions get the better of me. No, that's a lie; I'm a very emotional person." Usagi said with a smile.

"That's ok; that's a good thing. Before my mother passed away, she always said it's best to get whatever's on your mind off your chest for risk that it might drive you crazy." Tohru said with a smile.

"Your mother sounded like a very wise lady." Usagi with a smile.

"The wisest." Tohru said with a smile.

"So, you have two boys and two girls?" Usagi asked after a minute or two, looking at Tohru.

"Yes; Hajime and Kazuma are my handsome boys; and Kyoko and Teia are my sweet little girls. And your daughter's name is Chibiusa?" Tohru asked with a smile.

"Yes, my mini me. I'm curious—and you don't have to answer this if you don't want to. You can tell me I'm being too nosey and that it's none of my business. But you didn't want to name one of your sons after your dad?" Usagi asked, looking at Tohru; she had named the twins after her mother and Kyo's father.

"I didn't really know my dad all too well; he died of pneumonia when I was only three. But I was really close to my mom and Kyo was close to his dad." Tohru said calmly.

"Oh, I see; I'm so sorry." Usagi said softly.

"It's ok. I have my kids; so, I'm happy." Tohru answered honestly with a smile.

Usagi just smiled back at her.

"How did you come up with your daughter's name?" Tohru asked, looking at Usagi.

"She's actually named after me; it was Mamoru's idea. But so nobody gets confused, we placed "Chibi" to the beginning of her name and just used the first few letters of my name at the end of her name." Usagi explained calmly.

"That's so clever!" Tohru exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together.

"Thank you." Usagi said with a smile.

"You know what?" Tohru asked, sitting up straight.

"What?" Usagi asked, confused.

"I think we're going to be really good friends." Tohru said with a smile.

"Yes, I agree." Usagi said with a smile as well.

**With Sesshomaru & Kagome:**

"What do you want, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, standing in a corner with her arms across her chest; she wasn't too happy right now.

"I want to talk to you. Why the hell didn't you tell me about any of that? I would've found that sad sack of shit and beat the crap out of him. Also, I'm sure the girls would love to meet their cousins." Sesshomaru said seriously.

"Didn't think you wanted anything to do with not only Inuyasha, but also me and the kids as well." Kagome said, looking at Sesshomaru.

"I didn't mean that…" Sesshomaru said, looking away from Kagome.

"Then what did you mean?" Kagome asked, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"I—never mind what I meant; just forget I said anything." Sesshomaru stated, looking away.

"No, I will not forget about it. Now, tell me what you meant!" Kagome exclaimed quietly, as to not disturb the others or draw attention to them.

"I said that because it was just too hard to see you with him." Sesshomaru said quickly.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, only slightly confused.

"Oh my God, Kagome; I love you! And I always have!" Sesshomaru yelled, getting everyone in the room's attention.

"Sesshomaru—what about Rin?" Kagome asked in shock.

"What about her? I loved her yes, but not in the way I love you. And yes, she knew how I felt; but she didn't care. As long as I was with her and we had a child together. And as long as I showed her some kind of affection—which I did. But she was still no you." Sesshomaru explained, honestly.

"Why didn't you say something?" Kagome asked, still in shock.

"Because you were with him; I wasn't going to say anything and ruin anything. I thought he was going to take care of you and your kids. I guess I was wrong. Damnit!" Sesshomaru cursed before getting up and leaving the room, and then the building itself.

"Sesshomaru wait!" Kagome called, chasing after him.

"Well, that was interesting. Never a dull moment in my groups." Raina said, looking towards the door where Sesshomaru and Kagome ran from.

"It was kind of obvious." Ryou said simply.

"Yeah, you could tell he had feelings for her." Trunks said calmly.

"Just the way he looked at her when she talked." Usagi said in a lovey-dovey tone.

"I couldn't tell." Tohru said, staring blankly at the others, causing them to all sweatdrop—except for Raina.

"I couldn't tell either." Raina said, causing the others to fall over.

"Well, that's it for today; I hope to see you all here next Monday." Raina said with a smile as she walked over to pack her things up.

"Hey girls." Ryou and Trunks said at the same time, looking at Tohru and Usagi.

"Yes?" Tohru and Usagi asked as they started walking out of the room.

"We were talking earlier, and we decided that we were going to get our kids together and have a playdate or whatever. Originally, we were just gonna do it for our three-year-olds. We remembered that you said you have a three-year-old." Ryou started, looking at Tohru.

"Then we started thinking; we should just invite everyone, so that nobody is excluded. That includes you too, Raina. If any of you want, that is." Trunks finished looking from Tohru, to Usagi, to Raina.

"That sounds great. But my kids wouldn't be up for that; they don't really want anything to do with my job—any of them. And that's fine. But thank you anyway." Raina said with a smile.

"But what about Kagome and Sesshomaru?" Tohru softly asked as they left the building, about to go their separate ways.

"Well, it looks like they're talking now. We should wait until next Monday to talk to them." Trunks said as they looked across the way to see Kagome and Sesshomaru standing by a tree, talking.

"Yeah, we'll just give them their space for now." Ryou said calmly.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I think she liked him as well. Wouldn't it be great if they got together?" Usagi asked dreamily.

"I guess." Ryou and Trunks said at the same time before they all went their separate ways—to pick their kids up from school or babysitters…


	3. Chapter 3

"Sesshomaru, wait up! Wait!" Kagome yelled as she ran after Sesshomaru.

"What do you want, Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked in somewhat of a harsh tone of voice; Kagome was a bit taken aback for a second.

"I want to talk. In fact, I demand we talk. Or—I can talk, and you can—will listen to me!" Kagome exclaimed, somewhat at a loss for words.

"Make it quick; I have to pick up the twins from school. And if I'm not mistaken; you have kids to pick up as well." Sesshomaru said, very annoyed.

"Why did you leave after Rin passed away; I could've helped you with the twins." Kagome said seriously.

"Same reason I couldn't be around you; it was too hard to see you happy with him." Sesshomaru said seriously.

"Trust me—we weren't happy; I was pretty sure he'd been cheating on me way before I found out. And I was right; he admitted to being with my sister since I was three months pregnant with Iyo; that's when they started seeing each other. I guess they have a kid or two together." Kagome said calmly, sadly, tears slipping out of her eyes.

"You should've told me you felt something was wrong; I could've figured it out right away." Sesshomaru said right away, as he absentmindedly reached up and wiped away her tears; he hated seeing her cry.

"Umm… But anyway, I have to get going; I have kids to pick up." Kagome said as she backed up a little.

"Kagome wait. Now it's my turn." Sesshomaru said, grabbing Kagome's wrist before pulling her back to him.

"Yes?" Kagome asked, blushing a little; she had just seen the rest of the group walk away.

"I still love you; I always have and probably always will. I don't know how you feel about me exactly; but if you're willing to give me a chance—I'd like to take you out to dinner or something." Sesshomaru said seriously.

"I need to think about it; I'll give you an answer next Friday before or after the next meeting. But I really do have to get my kids." Kagome said with a soft smile before leaning up to gently kiss Sesshomaru's cheek.

"See you around." Sesshomaru said, watching Kagome leave before leaving himself to get his kids.

**With Ryou:**

"You're all together? I didn't think I was that late." Ryou said as he pulled up to the elementary school where Koji went to school.

The schools where Ryou's kids went were as such:

**.** Early childhood (Optional)-age 4 or 5

**.** Elementary School-ages 5 or 6-7 or 8

**.** Grade School-ages 8 or 9-10 or 11

**.** Middle/Junior high-ages 11 or 12-13 or 14

**.** High school-ages 14 or 15-17 or 18

If a child is born between March and August, they are eligible to start school at five. However, if the child is born between September and February, they can't start school until they turn six.

"It's ok; I went and got Koji while Niko got Zenji." Niko said calmly.

"It was a nice walk; we met up here." Kota said, just as calmly as his brother.

Kota and Niko are identical fifteen-year-old twins with short dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. They were almost as tall as their father now and were just as smart. They were born May 22, 2005, so they started school at age five and are now sophomores.

They were both on the basketball and soccer teams and science club while Kota is on the debate team, and Niko is in mathletes.

"At least it's nice out." Zenji mumbled as they all got into the minivan.

Zenji is ten with fiery orange hair and brown eyes; he's just hit his growth spurt and is usually in some kind of trouble. He has difficulty concentrating on anything school related. He was born March 8, 2010; so, he also started school at five—well, four; he was in early childhood. He is supposed to be in his last year of grade school, but he might be held back unless Ryou decides to put him in summer school.

"Where are Haru and Momo?" Koji asked, looking around.

Koji is seven with strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes; he's tall for his age but still shorter than his older siblings. He isn't as smart as his dad or Kota and Niko; in fact, he's a little slower; but he likes to learn. He didn't start school until six, with a year of early childhood at five because he was born September 1, 2013—just one day after the cutoff date.

"They are at grandma and grandpa's; we're going to get them next. Just so you all know, we're going to be having dinner there tonight and every Friday from here on end—until I get some things figured out. They insist on making us dinner on Fridays to try to help me with all of you. Apparently, I'm stressed…" Ryou sighed as he drove on.

"You are stressed." All four boys said at the same time.

"I am not stressed. Maybe a little overwhelmed sometimes; but I'm not stressed. I'm your father; and there are six of you compared to me; so I'm bound to be a little overwhelmed—or even stressed out from time to time. But, with that said; it's none of your concern. You are my kids and I'm the adult; you shouldn't be worrying about this kind of stuff. For now, just be kids and enjoy your childhood. Yes, even you two, Kota and Niko. It's not your jobs to worry about me; it's mine to worry about all of you." Ryou explained, keeping his eyes on the road.

"What about grandma and grandpa?" Koji asked right away.

"They worry as well—and there's nothing I can do about that; you kids are the only thing they have left of their daughter." Ryou started.

"Not us." Kota mumbled.

"Yes, you two as well; they love you two just as much as your brothers and sister. I don't know if you know this or not, but your mother was told she wasn't able to have kids at one point; she was in some kind of horrible accident when she was a kid. We started dating and when we became truly serious, I asked her, when we married, if she would like to adopt you two; she said yes right away. Her parents, your grandparents were so excited that they were going to have grandchildren. To them, blood doesn't always make a family; love does. They have always loved and treated you as family. They wrote up their own documents that say they adopted you as their grandchildren; they have that hanging up in their room along with all the other ones they made for each and every one of your brothers and sister. We just got lucky when we had Zenji and then Koji and then finally Haru and Momo; they are your mother's miracle babies. But she loved each and every one of you the same; you two were her first children ever—even if you're not biologically hers. Your mother and I, and your grandparents love each and every one of you exactly the same." Ryou said seriously, causing Kota and Niko to look at each other in shock.

"So, if you're not stressed and all that, why are grandma and grandpa insisting on taking care of us?" Zenji asked, speaking up.

"I think they want to see you more. Which is fine; we don't see them very often anymore. Seeing them once a month is not good enough; they need to see you more often. But anyway, enough about all that. How was school?" Ryou asked, changing the subject.

"Good." All boys answered at once.

"Ok. Kota, you start." Ryou said as they drove along; it was about a half an hour drive to Ichigo's parents' home.

"I started in the debate team." Kota said calmly.

"And I got into mathletes." Niko said with confidence.

"Oh, that's great. But are you going to be able to keep up with schoolwork? I mean I really am proud of you two; but you both also have basketball, soccer and science club already." Ryou said, concerned, looking in his rearview mirror at the twins.

"It'll all work out just fine. We have basketball on Mondays and Wednesdays at the end of the year and soccer on Mondays and Wednesdays at the beginning of the year. And then I have debate team on Thursdays." Kota explained calmly.

"Science club meets every Tuesday and I have mathletes on Thursdays. And then we do all of our school/homework during study halls, classes or at home." Niko said with a smile.

"And then Fridays we have free to do whatever we want." Kota and Niko said at the same time.

"Ok. As long as you keep up your schoolwork, I don't care. But the moment schoolwork starts failing, you'll have to drop something or some things. Do I make myself clear?" Ryou asked very seriously.

"Yes, of course." Kota and Niko answered at the same time.

"Good. Zenji, Koji; one of you want to go now?" Ryou asked calmly.

"I do!" Koji said with a huge smile, raising his hand.

"You're not in school; you don't have to raise your hand." Zenji said, annoyed.

"Zenji knock it off; he can raise his hand if he wants. Go ahead Koji." Ryou said as calmly as he could.

"I made a new friend!" Koji yelled, excited.

"That's great; but Koji—you need to use your inside voice. We're in a small space; your voice carries. But anyway, tell us about your friend." Ryou said calmly.

"Sorry. She's really great—and nice; she's new. And she doesn't call me a spaz like the other kids; but the other kids call her a spaz too. We got in trouble with some other kids out on the playground behind the trees." Koji explained with a smile—until he got to the end.

"A girl huh? Ok, what'd you do behind the trees?" Ryou asked, hoping he wouldn't regret this answer.

"The other kids dared us to play the game "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." It was really fun—but really weird." Koji said with a huge smile; Ryou immediately pulled the minivan over to the side of the road; he truly regretted that answer.

Kota and Niko sat there in shock along with their dad, while Zenji sat there laughing his ass off.

"Is something wrong?" Koji asked, confused.

"Did I get a call from the school?" Ryou asked, immediately concerned.

"No; the principal said he was going to send you a letter. He had to call the other kids' parents; that was more important. They said they learned that game from some family friends." Koji explained right away.

"Ok. I'm glad you made a new friend; but you cannot be playing that game. Ok?" Ryou explained, dead serious.

"Why not?" Koji asked, confused.

"I'll explain it later; but for now, all you need to know is that it's not a good game for you to be playing—not for a very long time anyway. Do you understand?" Ryou asked seriously.

"Yes." Koji answered right away.

"Ok, good. Anything else happen?" Ryou asked as he started up the minivan and was on the road again.

"We learned about butterflies and how they come from caterpillars. Our teacher read us The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I didn't like today's lunch, so I had what you packed me." Koji said with a smile.

"That sounds like a lot of information. And yes, I know you didn't like the hot lunch today; that's why I packed you a lunch." Ryou said with a smile and a bit of a chuckle.

"What about you Zenji; what did you do today?" Koji asked curiously, but Zenji didn't answer.

"Don't worry about Zenji, Koji. If he doesn't want to talk, he can listen. I got a call from your principal today; he told me all about what happened. Do you want to start talking now?" Ryou asked calmly, but with a hint of disappointment.

"You obviously know what happened; why should I have to tell you if you already know?" Zenji asked, copping an attitude.

"Lose the attitude; you're already in enough trouble as is. Fighting with students, getting an attitude with your teacher, walking out of two classes, and finally, not only sneaking into the girls' bathroom, but throwing in fake spiders, rats, snakes, and a stink bomb in there. What on earth were thinking?" Ryou asked after naming off everything he had done.

"What does it matter?" Zenji asked, leaning against the window.

"Oh, it matters a whole hell of a lot; you've been suspended for a week. Also for the week that you're suspended, you'll be grounded. I normally don't care who you hang out with; but I don't want you hanging out with these kids anymore; they're not a good influence on you." Ryou explained seriously, but also calmly.

"What?! That's not fair!" Zenji yelled, sitting up straight.

"Which part?" Ryou asked, watching the road.

"Any of it! I get being suspended; I'm fine with that; I hate school anyway!" Zenji yelled, becoming extremely upset.

"Well that's all too bad; you did this to yourself when you did all those things. You're grounded, end of story. No friends, no video games, no computer, no tv for a week, including this weekend; you can have it all back next Saturday. Until then, it's to and from school and your chores; you may read, and you can have your music. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all at their normal times, but you're in the shower and to bed by eight. And maybe, if you're lucky, you can join us for family game and movie night tomorrow. And I really don't care if you don't like school or not; you have to go. It is very important to me that you get some kind of an education. I do not care if you go to college or not; but you will get a high school diploma." Ryou seriously said as Kota looked out his window, and Niko kept Koji entertained.

Kota sat up front with Ryou while Niko, Zenji, and Koji were all in the way back; Haru's and Momo's car seats are in the middle.

Ryou's minivan fit a family of eight; two up front, two in the center, and four in the back.

"This is bullshit." Zenji mumbled.

"Excuse me? What was that?" Ryou asked right away; he was starting to become angry.

"This…is…bullshit." Zenji said more clearly and slowly.

"Oh, I heard what you said. Now you're grounded through next weekend." Ryou said seriously.

"Why?!" Zenji asked, becoming furious.

"Zenji, you're ten; you're not supposed to be swearing; you know this. Kota and Niko aren't even allowed to swear yet; they still have another few months. The rule is: you must be sixteen in order to swear around me; and you can't go overboard. And if they are swearing, I'd better not hear it or about it. You have ten minutes to calm down and behave; we're almost to your grandparents." Ryou said seriously.

"I'm sooo sorrrry I'm not perfect like Kota and Niko or Koji or Haru and Momo!" Zenji yelled, incredibly frustrated, near tears.

"Hold on a second." Ryou said seriously, once again pulling over once again before looking back at his sons.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear to you—to all of you; you and your brothers and sister are not perfect—not by a longshot. Well, to me and your grandparents, you six are all perfect just the way you are but you have all made mistakes and will continue to make mistakes. Even Haru and Momo have made mistakes. But you learn, get up and move on from them. And like all of you, I'm not perfect either; I'm far from it. Also like all of you, I make mistakes; and so did your mother. No, none of you are mistakes; you are all miracles in your own rights. For instance when I first became a father, I had no clue what I was doing and needed a lot of help; and I had a lot of help. I learned from all of those mistakes. You don't learn if you don't make mistakes. And I think I know what's going on. You miss your mother, don't you?" Ryou asked, causing Zenji to look away with tears in his eyes.

"Zenji, it's ok; I miss her too. Your brothers miss her too. The only ones who don't miss her are Haru and Momo; but they never really knew her; they were only six months old. You have to understand, that because they will never get to know her like you all did, you'll have to tell them what she was like. And yes, I will tell them as well. Do you all understand me?" Ryou asked very seriously, looking at his sons.

"Yes." They all said, looking at him, tears in their eyes.

"Ok then; let's get back on the road before your grandparents start calling me, wondering where we all are." Ryou said as he turned around in his seat and started up again.

"So, how was your meeting thing?" Kota asked curiously.

"Yeah, how was it?" Niko asked, just as curious.

"Did you make new friends?" Koji asked with a smile.

"What meeting?" Zenji asked, confused.

"Just a support group; and it went fine. And yes, I made a few new friends—I think. I at least made one; but he's what the founder of the support group calls a "buddy." One of these days, when we get to know each other a little better, we're going to all hang out together with him and his kids." Ryou said calmly.

"Cool." Kota and Niko said calmly.

"Yay!" Koji exclaimed happily, while Zenji sulked.

**Ten Minutes Later:**

"What happened; are you all ok?" Sakura, Ichigo's mom, asked as they all walked in.

"Did you get lost?" Shintaro, Ichigo's dad, asked as Haru walked over to Ryou.

"Hi daddy." Haru said with a smile.

Haru is three with blonde hair and brown eyes; he is average for his age. He is smart for his age, but he also has ADHD; so, he has a hard time concentrating and sitting still.

"We had to stop a few times; I'll explain it later. Where's Momo?" Ryou asked, looking around.

"She is using her potty-training toilet." Sakura said with a huge smile.

"Really now? How did you manage that one?" Ryou asked in shock; Momo, because of her autism, has been afraid of the potty (she doesn't like the sound it makes).

It doesn't help that, unlike Haru, she was in and out of the hospital most of last year; it was just easier to keep her in diapers. Plus, she was on a catheter twice.

"I done. Daddy!" Momo said, walking into the living room with her shorts around her ankles; then she saw Ryou.

Momo is three with red hair and blue eyes and is short for her age. Compared to Haru, she isn't as smart; like Koji, she is slower than most. Ryou honestly feels that she's worse off than Koji.

Haru and Momo were born in October 2017; he was born naturally at 10:23 PM on October 4 while she was born via C-section at 12:15 AM on October 5. Neither of them can start school until they turn six.

With Haru and Momo, they only knew of Haru; there was no sign that another baby was in the womb. So, needless to say, Momo was a pleasant surprise and, overall, a miracle.

"Hi princess." Ryou said as he scooped her up, after pulling her shorts up.

**With Trunks:**

Trunks rolled up to Teddy's school first, where he saw her waiting for him—with her boyfriend.

The schools where Trunks's kids went were as such:

**.** Early childhood-age 4 or 5

**.** Elementary School-ages 5 or 6-7 or 8

**.** Grade School-ages 8 or 9-10 or 11

**.** Middle/Junior high-ages 11 or 12-13 or 14

**.** High school-ages 14 or 15-17 or 18

If a child is born between April and September, they are eligible to start school at five. However, if the child is born between October and March, they can't start school until they turn six.

"What's going on?" Trunks asked as Teddy walked over to the car.

Teddy is sixteen with dark purple hair, blue eyes, and is of average height. Like her grandma, she is super smart and loves science. She was born on July 17, 2004, so she started kindergarten at five. She technically didn't need early childhood for learning but rather for socialization; so, she did go to early childhood. She is now a sophomore in high school, dating a boy from a different school, and is kind of a loner. She only has two friends: her boyfriend and his younger sister—and they both live about an hour away. For personal reasons, she was held back in the second grade; all the friends she did have moved onwards and upwards and just kind of forgot about her. She was in the science club and mathletes but was kicked out because the other members were intimidated by her or something. There was that, but there was also the fact that the teachers in charge became annoyed when she would correct their mistakes.

Teddy's boyfriend's name is Kaido Star; he is seventeen and a half with long dark brown hair that went over his brown eyes (kind of like a goth rocker). All around, a good kid, his mother died giving birth to him, and his father died when he was twelve. He has a younger half-sister who is now sixteen. After their dad died, her mother left, deciding she couldn't do it on her own or that she didn't want kids at all. So they've been on their own since they were twelve and eleven, taking care of each other.

"Can I go to Kaido's this weekend?" Teddy asked, looking at her father.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, not this weekend." Trunks said calmly.

"Why not?" Teddy asked right away.

"We have plans with your grandparents this weekend, remember?" Trunks asked seriously.

"Right. I'm sorry Kaido; I can't spend the weekend this weekend." Teddy sighed sadly.

"It's ok; maybe next weekend." Kaido said with a smile; he knew how important family was to her.

"Love you." Teddy said, hugging Kaido.

"Love you too." Kaido said, hugging her back.

"Where's your sister?" Trunks asked, looking around.

"Her sophomore class, along with two others went on their yearly weekend camping trip." Kaido said calmly.

"She's the one who normally does all the cooking, isn't she?" Trunks asked with a sigh.

"Yes, that's correct; but I have some microwavable stuff." Kaido said calmly.

"Ok—get in; both of you. I still have to pick up Knickers and Lily." Trunks said seriously.

"What?" Teddy and Kaido asked in shock.

"Kaido, I know you can't cook; you set your microwave on fire four months ago cooking in it. You can come to dinner tonight. Don't bother me about it, and maybe I'll let him stay the weekend. If I let him, he sleeps on the couch. And, as long as you promise not to be making out back there, you can both sit in the back seat." Trunks said calmly

"Oh my god; thanks daddy! I love you; you're the best!" Teddy squealed with excitement as she and Kaido got into the car.

"Thanks a lot Mr. Briefs." Kaido said politely.

'We'll see how long that lasts.' "Love you too sweetheart and it's not a problem; I'm not going to let you starve." Trunks thought to himself and then said as he started the car and got on the move.

What Trunks failed to mention is that it's almost impossible for them to make out as Lily's car seat was in the center to keep Teddy and Knickers separated.

**Five Minutes Later:**

"What took so long? Kaido's coming with? Cool. Wait; where am I supposed to sit?" Knickers asked, only looking in the back and not the front.

Knickers is twelve with short black hair and blue eyes and is taller for his age—and he's still not done growing. Knickers is the exact opposite of his sister; he's a troublemaker who likes martial arts, much like his grandfather. He was born on November 13, 2008; so, he started kindergarten at six—well, technically he was five for a few months. Trunks did put him in early childhood for learning and socialization; he is now in his first year of middle school. He has a lot of friends and is on the school's wrestling team; he's one of the only two on the team. Typically, you have to be in seventh grade to join the wrestling team; but they made an exception for him—and the other kid. He's just starting to notice girls and all that, but he does not have a girlfriend. He's also started taking care of his own needs; both Trunks and Teddy have walked in on him.

Trunks's rules for dating are that his child must be at least fourteen, and no sex until they are at least sixteen—and they best be using some sort of protection.

"Well, if you'd look up front, you'd notice there's nobody up there." Teddy said, mocking her brother.

"Teddy, behave or I will call your grandma and tell her we're going to be late. And you know why." Trunks warned seriously.

"Sorry daddy." Teddy said, sinking into her seat.

"Suck up." Knickers mumbled.

"Knickers, get in the car or Kaido can sit up front; I still have to pick up Lily." Trunks warned seriously.

"Fine…" Knickers mumbled as he got into the car.

"Isn't Lily with grandma and grandpa?" Teddy asked, confused.

"No. Grandma had a science meeting and grandpa had some training to do with Uncle Goku; so I dropped Lily with a sitter before my support group meeting." Trunks explained calmly.

"That's right; you started that today. How was it?" Teddy asked, very interested.

"It was fine; made a new buddy. He has twins Lily's age; so we're going to do a get together type of thing one of these days and just hang out. You and your brother will be there as well. No, I don't know when yet, but I will let you know. No arguing or certain activities will be canceled." Trunks explained and then warned when he seen Knickers start to complain.

"Fine…" Knickers mumbled.

"So, how was school today?" Trunks asked as he turned a corner.

"Same old, same old. I had a history, science and math test." Teddy mumbled.

"Still no friends?" Knickers snickered.

"Knickers…" Trunks warned.

"Sorry…" Knickers mumbled.

"I'm just fine by myself; school is for learning, not fun or friends." Teddy shot back.

"Ok, that's enough, you two. Knickers, did you have wrestling practice today?" Trunks asked, trying to defuse the situation before it even started.

"Yeah; we have our first official matches against a rival school next Friday at 4:30 after school." Knickers said excitedly.

"That's great. Are you going to be wrestling in a match or so?" Trunks asked, proud of his son.

"That's the plan. You'll be there right?" Knickers asked, hopeful.

"Of course I'll be there; I wouldn't miss it. Make sure you tell grandma and grandpa; I'm sure they'll be there as well. Your sisters will be there, cheering you on as well." Trunks said proudly.

"What? Why?" Teddy asked, complaining about it.

"Because I'm letting your boyfriend come to dinner tonight and most likely spend the weekend." Trunks said seriously, reminding her.

"Right…" Teddy mumbled as she leaned back, but relaxed when Kaido reached over and rubbed her shoulder.

"Can Kaido come watch me as well?" Knickers asked right away.

"That's up to him." Trunks said as they pulled into a driveway.

"Will you come?" Knickers asked, looking back at Kaido.

"I'd love to." Kaido said with a smile.

"Ok—I'll be right back. No fighting and no making out." Trunks sternly said as he got out of the car.

"Mr. Briefs." An older lady said with a smile as Trunks walked up the walkway.

"Sorry I'm late; I had some issues with my older children." Trunks sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Oh, it's perfectly fine; I remember both Teddy and Knickers very well. I don't see him much anymore; but do see her from time to time. Boy, has she grown into a beautiful young woman?" The lady said with a smile.

"Yes, she has." Trunks sighed yet again; he didn't like thinking about Teddy growing up already.

"It gets easier; it really does." The lady said with a smile.

"Yeah. But anyway, Lily; how was she? I know how she is with strangers." Trunks said calmly.

"She did ok. I mean, she cried for about half an hour after you left; but stopped when I put on Scooby Doo." The lady said calmly, with a smile.

"Yeah, she loves Scooby Doo." Trunks said as they walked inside.

"How long has she been sleeping like that?" Trunks asked in shock when he saw Lily sleeping on a sleeping bag.

"About an hour or so. I tried to get her to nap on the couch; but she just screamed and ran away." The lady said as Trunks bent down and picked Lily.

"Yeah—she for some reason does not like couches. I told your husband that; he said he'd tell you when you got home." Trunks said calmly, quietly as to not wake Lily just yet.

Lily is three with light violet hair, blue eyes, and is short for her age. She is very autistic and likes what she likes. She was born on November 8, 2017; so, she's supposed to start kindergarten at six, but Trunks's mom offered to homeschool her because of her autism. Trunks is seriously thinking about it; however, at the same time, he's planning on moving over the summer. At the current moment, she doesn't have any friends except her daddy, grandparents, and stuffed animals.

"Hmm… He didn't say a thing." The lady said, slightly annoyed.

"Sorry. Anyway, how much do I owe you?" Trunks asked, pulling out his wallet.

"Don't worry about it. Call it even for fixing my car, sink and pulling my husband out of whatever it is that he was stuck in." The lady said with a smile.

"Ok—if you're sure." Trunks said, looking at the lady.

"Go; have a good time with your family." The lady said calmly.

"Ok. Thanks again." Trunks said, walking out of her house and to the car, where he could see Knickers and Teddy arguing again.

"Knock it off! What's going on now? Teddy, out of the car so I can put Lily in her seat." Trunks asked and then said seriously.

"I can put her in; I know how." Teddy said right away, calmly.

"Fine. What's going on?" Trunks seriously asked as Teddy took and placed Lily in her seat and buckled her in.

"Nothing." Both Teddy and Knickers said right away.

"Uh-huh… We'll discuss this later." Trunks said, sighing as he got in and drove to where they were supposed to meet his parents.

"What is your buddy's name?" Teddy asked curiously after a few minutes.

"Umm… Ryou Shirogane." Trunks answered right away.

"Kota and Niko's, Zenji's, Koji's, Haru's and Momo's father?" Kaido asked right away.

"You know them?" Trunks asked, kind of shocked.

"Yeah; I go to school with Kota and Niko; we have a few classes together. I also watch the younger kids for Mr. Shirogane when he goes out for work or something and Kota and Niko can't watch them." Kaido said calmly.

"Aren't you two years older than them?" Trunks asked, confused.

"Yeah; but we're in the same grade. I was held back in sixth grade because I was sick so much; but doctors found out that my stepmom had something called Munchausen's disease. And then I was also held back my freshman year because we had to stay with our grandparents because they were dying. While there, only one of us was able to go to school while the other took care of our grandparents. I made her go to school; I didn't mind being held back. We were there for about half a year before coming back home." Kaido explained calmly.

"I'm so sorry." Teddy said sadly.

"Don't be. If I would've never gotten held back that second time, I might not have met you on that trip to your school for something or other." Kaido said with a smile.

"Yuck." Knickers said, sticking his finger in his mouth and made a gagging noise.

"Knickers, that's enough. You'll feel that way for someone when you're older." Trunks calmly said as he drove on.

"Are they a nice family?" Teddy asked, curious.

"Oh yes, very; and smart too. Kota and Niko are fifteen, Zenji is ten, Koji is seven and Haru and Momo are three. Momo's probably the sweetest one out of them; she reminds me a lot of Lily. And not just because they're both autistic; but because they're both some of the sweetest little girls I know. Zenji's a little rough around the edges; but is a good kid, nonetheless. Koji and Haru both love to learn; but are both really hyper. Kota and Niko are super smart and are in a lot of clubs." Kaido said with a smile.

"Well, at least we know what we're getting into." Knickers muttered.

"Oh, it's going to be a long night…" Trunks sighed as he pulled into a nice restaurant.

**With Tohru:**

"There you are. How was your meeting?" Uo asked as Tohru walked up.

"Yes, how was your meeting?" Hana asked calmly.

"It was nice; I made a new friend; her name is Usagi; she has a daughter named Chibiusa and she's eight." Tohru said excitedly.

"That sounds great." Uo and Hana said with a smile.

"Ahhh!" Tohru screamed after a few minutes.

"What is it; what's wrong?" Uo asked, concerned.

"I forgot to pick up the kids from school!" Tohru screamed in a panic as she rushed to get her keys.

The district that Tohru went to only had three schools:

**.** Early childhood-Kindergarten-age 5-6

**.** Elementary-Grade School-ages 7-11

**.** Middle/Junior High-High School-ages 12-18

Unlike most school districts, Tohru lives in an area where children start at five and go until eighteen, no matter when their birthday. However, a child must be five before January the next year to qualify to begin.

"Same old Tohru." Hana said with a smile.

"Should we tell her?" Uo asked, watching Tohru panic.

"Is everything ok?" Hatori asked, walking in with Tohru's kids.

"Oh, Hatori; you picked up the kids?" Tohru asked, calming down a little.

"Of course; that's what we discussed the other day. Don't you remember?" Hatori asked, looking at Tohru with that concerned look.

"Right; of course." Tohru said with that same dopey smile, causing Hatori to sweatdrop.

"Mom, can I play video games?" Hajime asked, tugging on Tohru's shirt.

"You have to get your homework done first." Tohru said calmly.

"But I already did; Uncle Hatori helped me." Hajime said seriously.

"Oh—ok." Tohru said with a smile.

"So, can I?" Hajime asked again.

"Of course." Tohru said with a smile.

Hajime is nine years old with orange-brown hair and brown eyes; he is up to Tohru's waist and still growing. He was born on January 13, 2011 and is currently in the third grade. He is smart, serious, but also loves to have fun.

Kyoko and Kazuma are six-year-old twins born on June 10, 2014. Kyoko has shoulder-length orange hair and brown eyes while Kazuma has short brown hair and orange eyes. They are both in kindergarten and are taller than most kids in their class; so, they're tall for their age.

Kyoko is tough and likes to fight; she is an orange belt in karate.

Kazuma is more of a calm personality and loves to mediate; he is also an orange belt in karate.

Teia is three years old with long brown hair usually tied up in little pigtails and orange eyes; she is also short for her age. She is not yet in school, so she spends her day at home with Tohru, who works from home—or with other family members. She doesn't like to fight and has a kind and big heart; she also loves to help out around the house.

"Mama?" Teia asked softly, tugging on Tohru's leg.

"What is it baby?" Tohru asked gently.

"Can I take a bath—with bubbles?" Teia asked softly.

"After dinner." Tohru said with a smile.

"Ok. Can I go play in my room?" Teia asked, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Of course. But first, where did Kyoko and Kazuma go?" Tohru asked, looking at Teia.

"They went outside to practice their moves." Teia said, still rocking back and forth with hands behind her back.

"Ok; go ahead and play. I'll call you when dinner's ready." Tohru said with a smile.

"Would you all like to stay for dinner?" Tohru asked, looking at Uo, Hana, and Hatori.

"I'd love to, but I have to get to work." Uo said calmly, with a sad smile; she loved Tohru's cooking.

"I too have to pick up my kids from my parents; they insist on us staying for dinner there." Hana said calmly.

"I'll stay; I have nothing better to do." Hatori said with a smile—a smile that, for some reason, made Tohru melt.

"Well, we'll see you tomorrow." Uo and Hana said, hugging Tohru before they left.

"Ok; see you tomorrow." Tohru said with a smile, waving as her friends leave.

"Our Tohru is falling in love and doesn't even know it." Uo sighed as they started walking away.

"Oh no, not again…" Hana said distantly.

"At least Hatori is a good guy—and has a steady job. He loves her too." Uo said when they reached a crossroads.

"Yes, I agree. I just don't want to see her hurt again." Hana sighed.

"Neither do I. But she's a big girl now. We have to let her live her life how she wants to. We have to let her love who she loves." Uo said seriously.

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow." Hana distantly said as they went their separate ways.

**Back With Tohru & Family:**

"So, how was your meeting?" Hatori asked while Tohru started making dinner.

"It was really nice; I'm glad I went. I even made some new friends." Tohru said with a smile.

"That's really great, Tohru." Hatori said with a smile.

"Oh, that reminds me; I have to talk to the kids." Tohru said absentmindedly, turning the stovetop down a little.

"I'll get them; you just worry about cooking." Hatori said calmly.

"Are you sure?" Tohru asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Hatori calmly said as he went to find Hajime, Kyoko, Kazuma, and Teia.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Hatori knocked on Hajime's open door, getting his attention right away.

"Yeah?" Hajime asked, looking up at Hatori.

"You're mom wants to see you and your brother and sisters. Please go to the kitchen." Hatori said calmly, but seriously.

"Ok. Do you want me to get the others?" Hajime asked, pausing his game before getting up.

"If you could get Teia, that'd be great; I'll get the twins." Hatori said, walking away.

"Ok." Hajime sighed as he walked down the hall to Teia's room.

"Hey. What are you doing?" Hajime asked, walking into Teia's room.

"Playing house." Teia said with a smile.

"Why do they all look like us?" Hajime asked, a little creeped out.

"Umple 'Gure make dem for me. Dey everyone in the famwee." Teia said with that same smile.

"Why is dad hanging up above the house?" Hajime asked, confused, looking up; he then saw a look of pain cross Teia's typical happy, smiling face.

"Daddy died—but mommy says he always watch over us from Heaven." Teia said softly.

"That's correct. Now, come on; ma want's us for something." Hajime said, taking Teia's hand.

"Otay." Teia said with a smile, placing her dolls in their bin.

"Hey you two!" Hatori called from the backdoor.

"Hey, Uncle Hatori; what's up?" Kyoko asked as she stood still, along with Kazuma.

"Your mother needs to talk to you two, Hajime and Teia. Come inside for a few minutes." Hatori said calmly.

"Ok; just give us a minute." Kyoko said, getting ready to spar with Kazuma.

"No, now." Hatori said more sternly this time while crossing his arms across his chest and tapping his foot; Kyoko and Kazuma knew he meant business.

"Fine…" Kyoko mumbled as she and Kazuma ran inside.

"Something smells really good, mom." Hajime and Kazuma said as they sniffed the air.

"Thanks. Its fish stew with rice, carrots and mushrooms." Tohru said happily.

"So—what'd you wanna talk to us about?" Kyoko asked, looking at Tohru, along with the others.

"Well, today, as you know, I had a special meeting to go to." Tohru started explaining.

"That's right. How did that go?" Hajime asked as he held onto Teia's hand.

"It was great! I made some new friends and a buddy; they have kids of their own. Two of them invited me and all of you to a get together so we can all get to know each other. They don't yet know when it's going to be, but they'll let me, and the others know when and where. I thought it was a really good idea; we can all get out and have some fun—and maybe even make new friends?" Tohru explained but ended in an unsure question.

"I wan fwends." Teia spoke up first.

"It sounds like fun, mom." Hajime said with a smile; he, more than his siblings, knew how much she needed something like this.

"Will we still be able to do our karate tournament?" Kyoko and Kazuma asked right away.

"Of course; they said to make sure we all figured out what activities our kids have and then we'll all figure something. Plus, there are two other people who stormed out of the meeting for personal reasons; we have to figure out if they want to come as well." Tohru said with a smile.

"Sounds great." Kazuma said happily; he's been wanting to go out as a family for a long time now.

"I'm glad you all think so." Tohru said happily, with her usual smile.

**With Usagi:**

Usagi showed up at Chibiusa's school to pick her up—five minutes late.

Without even realizing it, Usagi and her daughter lived in the same school district as Tohru and her children; they just live about half an hour away from each other.

So, as you already know, the school district Chibiusa and Tohru's children went to only had three schools:

**.** Early childhood-Kindergarten-age 5-6

**.** Elementary-Grade School-ages 7-11

**.** Middle/Junior High-High School-ages 12-18

"Well it's about time you got here." Chibiusa said in a bratty tone of voice.

Chibiusa is eight years old with pink hair and red eyes and is a little short for her age; however, she has a big mouth/attitude. Among all of that, she is also pretty smart and is in the second grade; she can't wait to get to high school as it has different clubs and activities she can do. She was born on June 30, 2012—the same day as her mother.

"I'm sooo sorry princess…" Usagi sarcastically said as Rini got into the car.

"What took you so long?" Chibiusa asked as she buckled up.

"I had a meeting, remember?" Usagi asked, pulling out of the school's parking lot.

"Oh, right. How was that?" Chibiusa asked calmly.

She may be a major pain in Usagi's ass—on purpose; she genuinely does love her mom more than anything.

"It went really well; they all let me know that what happened to your father, wasn't my fault." Usagi said calmly.

"I never said or thought that it was your fault; I just miss him." Chibiusa said, looking a little guilty; maybe she had been too bratty.

"I know you never said or thought that; but I did—and still kind of do. If I had never asked him to run an errand for me, he might still be here. And hey, I miss him too. But anyway, moving on. The support group I'm in is for single parents; aside from me, there are five others. They're all very nice; two of them are planning a get together in the next few weeks or so—they invited you and me to come and get to know everyone better. What do you say? Do you wanna meet new people, hang out and maybe make new friends?" Usagi asked as she stopped at a red light and looked back at Chibiusa for a few seconds.

"I'd love that! Do you know everyone's names?" Chibiusa exclaimed happily and then asked curiously.

"Of course. First off, we were all assigned a buddy—someone we can contact just to talk to when we need someone in the group to talk to. My buddy's name is Tohru Sohma; she has four kids; two sons and two daughters: Hajime, Kyoko and Kazuma and Teia. Then there's another girl named Kagome; she has two kids; a son and a daughter: Kai and Iyo. Then there are three fathers: Ryou, Sesshomaru and Trunks. Trunks has three kids; two daughters and one son: Teddy, Knickers and Lily. Sesshomaru has twin daughters: Hina and Hana. And Ryou—he has six kids; five sons and one daughter: Kota and Niko, Zenji, Koji and Haru and Momo." Usagi said with a smile.

"You can remember all that; but you can't remember your history assignments?" Chibiusa asked in a cheeky tone.

"Why you—little brat! That was three years ago. And I graduated, didn't I?" Usagi asked, annoyed.

"Yeah. But that's only thanks to Aunt Ami, Aunt Rei, and Aunt Makoto." Chibiusa said, narrowing her eyes.

"That may be true; but I still graduated." Usagi said, annoyed.

"Yeah, that's true; I'm very proud of you." Chibiusa said sincerely.

"Well, thank you sweetie." Usagi said with a smile.

Even though they bickered—often—they still love each other very dearly and would hate for anything to happen to either of them.

**With Sesshomaru:**

"I'm home." Sesshomaru sighed as he entered his house.

"Daddy!" Hana and Hina cried as they ran out of their room to him, hugging him tightly.

Hana and Hina are eight-year-old twins born on September 12, 2012. They are of average height but are fraternal twins. Hana has shoulder-length silver hair and gold eyes while Hina has shoulder-length black hair and brown eyes. They are overall happy girls with an average learning rate.

Neither of the girls are in public or private schools because Sesshomaru doesn't like nor trust them; so, he has them homeschooled.

"How was your meeting thing?" Hana and Hina asked at the same time.

"It was fine." Sesshomaru sighed as he sat on his couch, sank in, and closed his eyes.

"Uh-oh—Daddy's stressed." Hina said, looking at Hana.

"Yes—we should do something for him." Hana said, looking back at Hina.

"Yes, let's get him his surprise." Hina said with a smile before the two ran to the kitchen.

'What are those girls up to now?' Sesshomaru asked himself as he opened his eyes.

**Five Minutes Later:**

"Daddy, we made you dinner." Hana and Hina said as they each carefully carried a tray with something on them.

"What is all this?" Sesshomaru asked, shocked, sitting up.

"Hana and I made you dinner. I made you a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich and some apple juice." Hina said happily.

"And I made you some waffles in the toaster and some fresh squeezed orange juice." Hana said with a smile.

"We hope you like it." Hana and Hina said at the same time, setting the trays on the couch.

"What about you two?" Sesshomaru asked seriously.

"We had spaghetti and meatballs from the cans." Hina and Hana said with smiles as they swayed back and forth.

"Oh, and Aunty Kat came by and we made cake. But we have to wait until later to eat when you say it's ok." Hana and Hina said happily.

"Where is she now?" Sesshomaru asked calmly.

"She left about an hour ago." Hana said calmly.

"She left you two here, alone?" Sesshomaru asked, immediately sitting up.

"No—Uncle Jaken showed up half an hour before she left." Hina said simply.

"So, where is he now?" Sesshomaru asked, looking directly at his girls.

"He said he was tired and was going to take a nap; he said to wake him if we needed him." Hana said dully.

"But only if there was an absolute emergency." Hina said dully.

"I'll have to talk to him, now won't I?" Sesshomaru asked as he ate his sandwich.

"Yep." The girls said with smiles.

"Hina, what's in this sandwich?" Sesshomaru asked as he got a chunk of something.

"Strawberries and bananas." Hina said happily.

"It's very good. So, I have a question for you girls." Sesshomaru said calmly.

"What is it?" Both girls asked curiously, climbing up onto the couch.

"Would you two like to meet your uncle's ex and your cousins?" Sesshomaru asked calmly—or as calmly as he could.

"Uncle Inuyasha? I thought you didn't like him?" Both girls said, confused.

"Oh, I don't—but he's no longer with the mother of your cousins." Sesshomaru explained.

"Do you mean Aunt Kagome?" Hina asked, looking at Sesshomaru.

"How do you know about Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked right away, suspicious.

"She's the pretty girl in the pictures." Hana said, looking up at Sesshomaru.

"What pictures?" Sesshomaru asked, looking directly at the girls.

"Uncle Jaken dropped a box when he was moving boxes down to the basement." Hina explained.

"Why did you look in the box he dropped?" Sesshomaru asked right away.

"He said we could have it—it was nothing." Hana said as she and Hina shrunk into the couch.

"Well, I'll definitely have to talk to him now. You girls aren't in trouble." Sesshomaru sighed, annoyed, and then explained.

"What did Uncle Inuyasha do? Why aren't they together anymore?" Hana and Hina asked curiously.

"He did something stupid. That's all you need to know. But Kagome would like it if her children (your cousins) got to know you two." Sesshomaru said calmly.

"How does she know about us?" Hana asked softly.

"She used to talk to your mother a lot. So, I'm guessing your mother probably told her at some point." Sesshomaru explained.

"Oh. So we have cousins?" Hina asked while Hana nodded her head, understanding.

"Yes. Umm… There's Kai and Iyo. Kai is two years older than you at ten and Iyo is a year—or maybe half a year younger than you at seven. I have met Kai a few times before, but I've never once seen Iyo; however, I have heard of her." Sesshomaru explained as the girls leaned their heads on his shoulders.

"Can we meet them sometime?" Hana asked softly, hooking her arms around his.

"Yeah, can we?" Hina asked, hooking her arms around his other arm.

"*Sigh…* Fine…" Sesshomaru sighed as he leaned back into the couch; he had a hard time saying no to them when they did that.

**With Kagome:**

"Where is that boy?" Kagome asked herself, driving around a decent-sized school, looking this way and that.

The school district where Kagome's kids went was somewhat of a combination of the school districts Ryou's and Trunks's and Tohru's and Usagi's kids went.

Her kids didn't have age restrictions like Tohru's and Usagi's district; all children started kindergarten at five and must be five by December 31. However, the schools were, for the most part, set up like the districts Ryou and Trunks lived in:

**.** Early childhood-age 4

**.** Elementary School-ages 5-7

**.** Grade School-ages 8-10

**.** Middle/Junior high-ages 11-13

**.** High school-ages 14-17

Early childhood classes are in the elementary school and are optional. Ages may vary depending on birthdays—but most graduates are most likely seventeen.

After about another minute or two of circling, Kagome saw one of Kai's teachers.

"Ummm… Excuse me, Mr. Junie!" Kagome called from her car window.

"Oh, Ms. Higurashi. How are you?" Mr. Junie asked, looking at Kagome.

"I'm fine; have you seen Kai anywhere?" Kagome asked calmly.

"Kai? He left about ten minutes ago; said something about having to pick his little sister up while you were at some kind of meeting. But I believe that was just an excuse to get out of detention. He doesn't have a little sister; you're much too young to have two kids." Mr. Junie said, striking a chord with Kagome.

"I do have two kids; he does have a little sister." Kagome replied, trying to keep her calm.

"But how? You're like twenty-three or something like that. What'd you do? Start having kids at fourteen?" Mr. Junie asked, really pissing off Kagome now.

"That poor man." Kagome and Mr. Junie heard some other teacher say to another teacher.

"I agree; I'd hate to be him right now." The other teacher replied.

"For your information, I'm twenty-six; I had Kai when I was sixteen. I then had my daughter at nineteen. Yes, before you say anything; they have the same damn father! And yes, I was in a meeting for single parents. Why is my son in detention?" Kagome asked, biting her tongue.

"He got into a fight with another student." Mr. Junie explained calmly.

"Who started the fight?" Kagome asked calmly.

"I am unsure of that. Kai said the other kid started it—and the other kid immediately said Kai started it." Mr. Junie said, causing Kagome to just stare at him, confused.

"Did you figure out who was lying?" Kagome asked, looking directly at Mr. Junie.

"Well, of course, it was Kai." Mr. Junie said confidently.

"Why is that?" Kagome asked, becoming irritated.

"He's always starting fights. But we did figure stuff out. The other kid kept poking, pushing, and hitting Kai." Mr. Junie said, causing Kagome to stare at him dumbfounded.

"So, why did Kai get detention? I mean, understand that Kai gets into a lot of fights. But if the other kid was attacking my son—why isn't he in detention and my son is?" Kagome asked, turning the car off.

"He is also in detention ma'am." Mr. Junie said, sticking one of his fingers in the collar of his shirt; he was starting to get nervous as Kagome stepped out of her car.

"Why is my son in detention?" Kagome asked, demanding an answer.

"Yes, well—he punched the other kind square in the face." Mr. Junie said, gulping in nervousness.

"Ok and?" Kagome asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"We have a no bullying or fighting policy. Anyone who is bullying or fighting with someone gets detention. Your son should've just walked away." Mr. Junie said, backing away.

"What if he couldn't walk away? What if this other kid was blocking him a corner or something? My son was just defending himself, like I taught him. As long as he doesn't make the first move, he has every right to fight back. Oh, and when did this little incident happen?" Kagome asked, tapping her foot now.

"This afternoon." Mr. Junie said in a small voice.

"And when was the decision to place him in detention made?" Kagome asked, still tapping her foot.

"At the same time." Mr. Junie said, crossing his legs; he was about to piss himself.

"Hmm… So, this afternoon. And I wasn't called, why? Why wasn't I contacted? Why didn't someone call me to let me know?" Kagome asked, beyond pissed off; she was starting to repeat herself.

"You were in a meeting." Mr. Junie said, going green in the face.

"ALL DAY?!" Kagome yelled; she had boiled over.

"I'm so sorry; it won't happen again." Mr. Junie said, backing away while he peed a little.

"No, it won't. I am so sick of getting calls about my son getting into fights that might not even be his fault. I'm sick of not getting calls when something like this happens. I am so pulling him out of this God forsaken school after this school year." Kagome mumbled as she got back into her car and drove off, leaving a petrified Mr. Junie to pass out and fall backward onto the ground, soiling himself.

**Ten Minutes Later:**

When Kagome arrived at the elementary school, both of her kids were sitting on a bench.

"Hi mom…" Kai mumbled; he was sure his mom knew what had happened. And, even if she didn't, she'd blow a gasket because he left the school's property before she came to get him.

"Mommy! Kai came to get me today! He scared away some mean kids who were picking on me!" Iyo happily exclaimed as she got up and ran to Kagome.

"I see that. Even though I told him to stay at his school until I came to get him. What happened to your face—and your knees and hands?" Kagome asked, tilting Iyo's face up to reveal a bruise under her eye and a large scratch completely taking over her chin; her knees and hands were also scraped up.

"Chia tripped me on the playground today—on the cement on purpose; she and her friends then laughed at me. And then, after I told the recess teacher what she did, she got mad and pushed me off the swings into the wood chips during our second recess. That's how I got the scrapes and cuts on my chin, hands, and knees. She wasn't allowed out during our third recess. She's going to be very mad tomorrow." Iyo explained in a way that most seven-year-olds do.

"What about your eye?" Kagome asked, concerned.

"Oh, I walked into a locker this morning. Well, I was walking, and I looked down for a second to pick up my special pencil that grandma gave me; when I looked up someone had opened their locker and I ran into it. They apologized and asked if I was ok; I said I was ok, but my cheek hurt a little. The next-door teacher took me to the nurse's office; the nurse gave me an ice pack. Then I had to go to the principal's office because I needed to be put on the no recess list for the rest of the week for not paying attention." Iyo explained.

"What did the principal say?" Kagome asked as calmly as she could.

"She wrote me a note and said that I should go back to class. I didn't get put on the no recess list." Iyo explained happily.

Kai is ten years old with shoulder-length black hair and brown eyes; he is tall for his age as he hit his growth spurt early. He was born on November 10, 2010—three weeks late; he just was not ready to come out. He was in his final year of grade school and would soon be moving onto middle school/junior high—a whole new school—in a completely different district. He is very smart but is also very stubborn; he has his father's attitude—and he hates it; he hates his dad for walking out on them with his aunt—and for making Iyo feel the way that she does.

Iyo is seven years old with long silver hair and amber eyes; she is of average height for her age. She was born on December 12, 2013—three weeks early; she was ready to come out into the world. She was in her final year of elementary school and would soon be moving into grade school—also in a new district. She is pretty smart for her age but is also very hyper and spaztic; she can't sit still. She doesn't really know her father, but does, however, wonder why he left and doesn't them anymore. She also questions if she was broken or the reason why he left—often.

Because of where they live—and the fact that Kagome drives her kids to school (she doesn't like the bus systems); she can take them to one of three school districts. They live between two different districts-both about half an hour away; the other school district she is eligible for is about an hour and fifteen minutes away.

"Why doesn't anyone call me when something like this happens?" Kagome asked, furiously as she stood up.

"Where are you going?" Kai asked as Kagome started walking up the steps to the school.

"Watch your sister—and don't go anywhere." Kagome said very seriously, pissed off.

"Oohh… Mom's pissed." Iyo said, shocking Kai and causing him to fall over.

"Kai, are you ok?" Iyo asked, shaking Kai's shoulder as he lay there.

After a few minutes, he sat up and just started laughing his ass off…


	4. Just a note

So...this is just a quick note or redirect if you will.

If you head over to Archive of Our Own or AO3 & find me there; Sara1991 & find Support Groups For Single Parents there, I just posted a chapter that's all just pictures of the characters...If you're interested. If not, that's fine as well. I will get to an actual chapter as soon as I can think of any ideas... With all the crap that's been going on with Covid-19 I haven't been able to leave my house, so I haven't been going to my group...so unfortunately I've been slacking. It doesn't have that I ran out of Ideas. However, I think I have a new idea for this. But, I've also been focusing on other stories as well. So please, I know I ask this often, but please, bear with me & I'll update as soon as I have ideas.

Information of the picture chapter is all on AO3.

~Sara1991~


	5. Chapter 5

**Three Weeks Later:**

"Hello once again, everyone." Raina said with a smile.

"Hello." Everyone said at the same time.

"How are all of you doing today? Let's start with Sesshomaru." Raina said with a smile, looking at an incredibly annoyed Sesshomaru.

"I'm fine." Sesshomaru gruffly said.

"What have you been up to?" Raina asked, pushing him a little.

"Not much—spending time with family." Sesshomaru said, looking at Kagome.

"Ok… Kagome?" Raina asked, looking at Kagome.

"Not a whole lot. I pulled Kai and Iyo out of the schools they were in; I couldn't take them coming home covered in bruises or whatever else the school could come up with to blame them for stuff they didn't do. They finally met their cousins a week and a half ago." Kagome calmly said, being as vague as possible.

Sesshomaru and Kagome had gone out on one date so far and plan to do so again.

"That's great, Kagome. Have you put your kids in a new school yet?" Raina asked, interested.

"Not yet; I'm still looking. But I have two choices—one of the choices is the district Ryou's kids go to. So, I suppose, depending on how the outing goes tomorrow, maybe they'll start there." Kagome said calmly.

"That's fantastic! I remember you saying something about an get together that first day. So, you figured that out, did you?" Raina asked with a smile.

"Yep. You and your children are still welcome to show up if you'd like." Ryou calmly said.

"Thanks, but we can't; we're going on a family vacation—the entire family. Where will you be holding this event?" Raina explained and then asked.

"My place. Originally, we had planned for a park, but then the weather says it's supposed to rain. It may not be as big or as fun as a park, but I have a large yard with some playground equipment. I have a large awning that covers a good chunk of the yard because my youngest four either don't understand or care that it's raining out and still want to play. Plus, it makes it easier to have and set up food—especially hot food." Ryou explained calmly.

"Yeah—especially since mom insists on cooking and bringing a crap-ton of food." Trunks sighed, slightly annoyed.

"Don't feel bad—Ichigo's parents are bringing stuff as well." Ryou said calmly.

"Are we supposed to bring something to eat or drink?" Usagi asked right away, slightly panicked.

"Are we allowed to bring people with?" Tohru asked, confused.

"You can if you'd like—to both questions." Ryou and Trunks said at the same time.

"Is there a limit to how many people?" Tohru asked softly.

"How many are you thinking?" Trunks calmly asked.

"Not including your kids." Ryou said just as calm.

"Well, I have my two best friends and their husbands—between them, they have four kids. Then, there are Kyo's cousins: Hatori, Ayame, Shigure and Akito, Yuki and Machi, Hatsuharu and Rin, Momiji, Ritsu, Kagura, Kisa, and Hiro. And between all of them, there are seven kids." Tohru nervously said.

"Usagi, Kagome, Sesshomaru; do any of you have friends as well you'd like to invite?" Ryou asked, looking from Trunks to them.

"Well, I have Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, Setsuna, Michiru, and a new special friend, Haruka. Setsuna and Michiru have an adopted daughter, Hotaru, who is Chibiusa's best friend." Usagi softly said, blushing at the mention of Haruka.

"I just have Sango and Miroku and their three children." Kagome calmly answered.

"The only person I can think of on my side would be my sister—she likes to pop up when there's some kind of party—if she's invited or whatever." Sesshomaru grumbled.

"That should be fine… Some of my and Ichigo's friends are showing up with their friends as well." Ryou calmly said.

"Yeah—same with some of my family friends—that my mother invited. And with how she cooks, they'll be food for weeks." Trunks replied.

"Same with Ichigo's mom. Then I'm making some things as well because I have picky eaters." Ryou said, rolling his eyes.

"Amen to that." Everyone else in the room said at the same time.

"So—Usagi, you're dating someone new?" Raina asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Her name is Haruka Tenoh—she was an old friend of Mamoru's. We kind of ran into each other two weeks ago, but only had our first date last Saturday." Usagi said with a soft smile.

"Well, congratulations. Any new news from any of you three?" Raina asked, looking at Ryou, Trunks, and Tohru.

"I found a new house out in the country—it's about five houses from Ryou's. Which, if you think about it—is actually like ten to twelve houses away with all the land and such. If you mean by love or anything like that—then no; there's nothing new there—despite my mom trying to set me up with every available girl in the area. But part of that might be because she really doesn't want me moving." Trunks answered, rolling his eyes at certain things.

"Hatori asked if I'd like to go out for dinner one night the other night." Tohru admitted softly, blushing.

"What'd you say?" Usagi and Kagome immediately asked, gushing over Tohru.

"I told him I'd have to think about it." Tohru said softly, blushing.

Truth is: she wanted to say yes; she's had a crush on Hatori for a while now—but has always been with and loved Kyo.

"You do what's best for you and your children." Ryou said simply, sitting there with his eyes closed.

"And what of you?" Raina asked, looking at Ryou.

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, opening his eyes, looking directly at Raina.

"Who did you meet?" Raina asked, looking at Ryou.

"Don't try to lie to us; we see it on your face." Usagi said with a large smile.

"I didn't really meet anyone. Monday, I went out for awhile while Ichigo's parents watched the kids. I ran into a young girl who was attacked by some thugs or something along those lines. She's a little older than Kota and Niko. I've run into a few times here and there:

. Grocery shopping

. The library

. Some museum

. Fast food places

. Around

"The only time I talked to her was that first night." Ryou explained, hoping that would satisfy everyone.

"You think she's cute…" Usagi and Kagome said in that tone as they narrowed their eyes at him.

"This girl is around my oldest sons' age. Even if she were closer to my age, she probably wouldn't be interested in me; I have six kids. Also, I don't know anything about her. Besides, I'm very happy the way I am." Ryou said seriously—lying, looking at everyone.

Only Trunks knew the truth; this girl has been on Ryou's mind since he met her. Also, he has talked to her and learned a lot:

. Her name is Keomi Kiko (Pure Hope)

. She's just turned seventeen

. She's roughly 5'2"

. She has reddish-brown hair

. Her eyes are dull green

. Without glasses, she can only see shadows and blurs

. She's a little naïve

. She's in her junior year of high school

. For personal reasons, she's debating on dropping out of school

. She was incredibly close to her dad, who was killed in front of her when she was five

. Her mother remarried when she was six

. Her mother is hooked on or addicted to several types of drugs—legal and illegal

. She doesn't like her stepfather

. She wants to run away, but can't, as she has nowhere to go

. She has a much older half-brother who lives hours away and wants nothing to do with her

. She has an older sister who lives only a little ways away but has two kids of her own—on her own

. She's shy

. She's kind

. She's caring

. She has two older cats and six new kittens

. Kota, Niko, Zenji, and Koji seem to like her

. Haru and Momo, who don't trust anyone, like her

. Most of all—Ryou knows he wants to spend the rest of his life with her

"Well, let's leave him alone; he'll open up if he wants to. For now, let's go onto our activities for the day. Today is all about "Trust." When you all first arrived three weeks ago, I assigned (most of you) a buddy that you can safely talk to and trust when you needed. Today, we're going to test those bonds. Today, I'm going to switch everyone up with a different partner. Whoever you're partnered with, you have to get them to tell you about one of their buddy's secrets. However, if your partner truly trusts their buddy, they won't tell you anything. Do you all understand?" Raina calmly explained and asked.

"Yeah." Everyone replied, looking at her like she was crazy.

"Ok, good. So Kagome: I'm going to set you up with Trunks. Usagi, you'll be Sesshomaru. And Tohru, you'll be with Ryou. Girls, you'll start asking questions first—you have five minutes." Raina said, setting a timer.

**With Kagome & Trunks:**

**Kagome's Turn:**

"So—we all know Ryou confides in you a lot…" Kagome started.

"Yes, this is true." Trunks answered, crossing his arms across his chest; he knew where this was going.

"You know he likes this girl more than he's saying, don't you?" Kagome asked, looking at Trunks, narrowing her eyes.

He remained quiet.

"Hmmm… Do you know her name?" Kagome asked, looking at Trunks.

"How about her actual age?"

"What does she look like?"

"Have his kids met her?"

"Do they like her?"

"Is she pretty?"

"Are you going to say anything?" Kagome asked question after question, finally becoming annoyed.

"The girl he met, he saved from being attacked. I know she's young—around his oldest sons' age and I do know her name, but I don't know anything about her. No, I'm not going to tell you her name. I will not betray Ryou's trust like that. Just as I'm sure, when it comes to my turn to ask you questions, you won't say anything to betray his trust." Trunks calmly answered.

"Hmmm. Ok… Well, I know he has six kids: twins, Kota and Niko-fifteen, Zenji-ten, Koji-seven, and twins Haru and Momo-three. You have three kids: Teddy-sixteen, Knickers-twelve, and Lily-three. Does Ryou worry about his twins and Lily getting along?" Kagome asked, trying to offend anyone by using terms like autism, ADD, OCD, etc.

"Don't know." Trunks answered with a sigh.

**Trunks's Turn:**

"So, how long have you and Sesshomaru been dating?" Trunks asked, looking at Kagome.

"Huh?" Kagome asked in shock.

"How long have you and Sesshomaru been dating? It's very clear that you two are." Trunks said, looking at Kagome.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Kagome said, turning around, blushing.

"Just as Ryou's life isn't any of yours." Trunks said calmly.

"Touché." Kagome said, looking back at Trunks.

"So—why is Sesshomaru always so—moody?" Trunks asked, trying to think of the right word.

"I don't know." Kagome calmly answered.

"Is he ever happy?" Trunks asked, looking at Kagome.

"You'd be surprised." Kagome simply answered.

"No, I'm not hitting on you—he's got good tastes. You seem like a great person." Trunks said, leaning back.

"I'm sure you'll find that right somebody—if you look." Kagome said with a smile.

"I'm sure." Trunks said with a smile.

**With Sesshomaru & Usagi:**

**Usagi's Turn:**

"So—how long have you and Kagome been going out?" Usagi nervously asked, looking at Sesshomaru; he very much intimidated her.

"Uhh—do your kids get along?"

"I really like Kagome, but what does she see in you?" Usagi asked after a few minutes, just staring at Sesshomaru; she really didn't know what to ask him.

"I don't know…" Sesshomaru sighed, looking at Usagi.

The only thing he knew was that he loved his daughters, Kagome and her children—and she loved her kids, him, and his kids in return.

**Sesshomaru's Turn:**

"You have that Tohru girl, don't you?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at Usagi.

"Yes." Usagi answered.

"Why does she always seem so unsure of herself?" Sesshomaru asked, trying to look interested.

"She is very sure of herself." Usagi said, defending Tohru.

"Heh. No, she's not. Neither are you. You said you loved a man for the past however many years. And sure, it's possible, but now you say you love a woman, who when you mentioned that she was an old friend of this Mamoru's—your eyes did that sparkle thing they do when you talk about someone you care about. Since I've known you, your eyes never sparkled like that when you talked about that Mamoru fellow—not like they do when you talk about this Haruka chick." Sesshomaru said, looking at a very stunned Usagi.

'Finally—peace and quiet.' Sesshomaru thought to himself as he watched Usagi sit there and think.

Sesshomaru spent the rest of his five minutes asking questions, sitting there, staring past Usagi, at Kagome.

**With Ryou & Tohru: **

"So, are you doing well?" Tohru softly asked, looking at Ryou.

"I'm fine…but this exercise is to try to get the other person to try to get the other person to tell them about their buddy." Ryou said, looking at Tohru.

"I know—but I don't like sneaking around my friends' backs and finding out secrets unless they want me to." Tohru said with a smile.

"Ah. Good way to look at it. If you like this Hatori, you should go after him. You said that Kyo said to be happy and move on, didn't you?" Ryou asked, staring at Tohru.

"Oh, umm… He did." Tohru distantly said, catching Ryou's attention right away.

"Tomorrow when you come over, pretend like you and Hatori are on a group date or whatever. That way you can decide for yourself if he's the right one for you. Also, watch how your kids are with him." Ryou said calmly.

"Ok. Thank you so much." Tohru said with her typical happy smile.

"You're welcome." Ryou said, looking at her, but deep down, he couldn't get his mind off of Keomi.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

And there she was: Keomi was standing at the door.

"Hi, can I help you with something?" Raina calmly asked, looking at her.

"Umm… I was actually looking for Mr. Shirogane." Keomi said softly.

"Daddy!"

All of a sudden, Haru and Momo came running in from behind Keomi.

"Haru? Momo? What are you two doing here? How did you get here? Keomi?" Ryou asked when Haru and Momo latched onto his legs; Keomi just stood in the doorway.

"Come in, Dear." Raina said, ushering Keomi in.

"I wasn't trying to interrupt or anything; I was just looking for a phone. Haru said he knew numbers to call." Keomi softly said; everyone could tell she was very nervous.

"Why do you have the twins?" Ryou asked as calmly as he could, looking at Keomi.

"They were playing in a park and ran over to me—they said the lady who was watching them fell asleep…" Keomi nervously started.

"Then one of the other kids woke her up, so she kicked us all out. We all told Ms. Kiko where to go and she returned the other three kids to their homes. Her phone died, so she brought us here so we could try to call Grandma and Grandpa at their appointment." Haru explained, looking at Ryou.

"Pease don be mad at Ms. Kiko." Momo said softly.

"Well, I'm certainly not mad. Uhh… Thanks for bringing them here. Why here?" Ryou asked, confused.

"One of the other kids lives up the road. I've been here before; I knew there was a phone we could use." Keomi softly answered.

"Well, thanks again." Ryou sighed, looking from his kids to Keomi.

"It's no problem." Keomi said with a soft smile.

'Ohhh… That's the girl he likes…' The girls and Sesshomaru thought to themselves.

"Oh Mr. Ikashi—how are Hana and Hina?" Keomi asked, noticing Sesshomaru.

"They're fine. That's right—you babysat them a few times, didn't you?" Sesshomaru asked, recognizing her after a few seconds.

"Yes; they were always well behaved. Oh, umm…but I should be headed out. Bye." Keomi quickly and nervously said before leaving, stubbing her toe on the way out.

"Daddy?" Momo asked with her finger in her mouth.

"What is it, Princess?" Ryou calmly asked, picking her up.

"Can Ms. Kiko come to party morrow?" Momo softly asked.

"Yeah, can she?" Haru asked, looking up.

"You can go ask her, if you'd like." Raina said, looking at Ryou—along with Kagome, Usagi, and Tohru.

"Fine. We can go ask. I'll be right back." Ryou said, picking Haru up before quickly walking out to find Keomi.

"How do you know that girl?" Kagome asked, looking at Sesshomaru.

"My sister made me go out a few times last year—I was forced to find a babysitter. Keomi Kiko came highly recommended by a lot of people. Hana and Hina really liked her and wanted her back when I had to get a babysitter for them." Sesshomaru explained seriously after sensing Kagome's jealousy.

"Ohh…" Kagome said, now embarrassed.

**With Ryou & Kids:**

"Keomi!" Ryou called when he stepped outside to see Keomi was already across the street.

"Hmm? Mr. Shirogane—what is it?" Keomi asked, looking at Ryou.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Ryou asked, looking at her when he finally caught up to her.

"Not that I know of. Why?" Keomi asked, confused.

"The twins and I were wondering, if you weren't busy—and if you wanted to—if you'd like to come to a party, we're having tomorrow." Ryou said, looking at Keomi.

"A party?" Keomi asked, shocked.

"Yeah. Originally, it was just supposed to be a get together for the support group and our kids—but somehow my buddy's mother got involved and invited a few of their friends. And I had told my deceased wife's parents, so they offered to make food—so they're coming—as are some of my old friends. Then the other members of our group asked if they could bring friends—we said that was find. So, we were just wondering if you'd like to come as well." Ryou explained, looking at Keomi.

"Oh umm…" Keomi nervously started, pulling her sleeves down even more.

"Did you get an owie Ms. Kiko?" Momo asked, noticing the reddening cut on Keomi's wrist that she was trying to hide.

"Yeah—but I'll be ok." Keomi softly said, with a soft smile.

"Ok." Momo softly said, unsure.

"Will you come?" Haru asked, looking up at Keomi.

"Huh?" Keomi asked, a bit confused.

"To our party?" Haru tried again.

"Oh, umm…" Keomi started, unsure of what to say.

"Do you need a ride? I can always come pick you up or something." Ryou seriously said, looking at Keomi, reading her body language.

"NO! I mean—no thank you. Umm… That wouldn't be very good. Umm…" Keomi stammered on.

"Ok… Do you two wanna play at that park?" Ryou asked, looking West towards a park.

"Yeah!" Both Haru and Momo happily exclaimed.

"Ok. Well then, wait here with Keomi and behave while I let my group know I'm leaving a little early. I'll be right back." Ryou said, running back inside.

"What's going on, Ryou?" Everyone asked when Ryou walked in—Kagome and Usagi pulling away from the window a few seconds beforehand.

"I'm going to take off a little early today. No, it's not like that. Keomi is in some kind of trouble; I'm going to find out once and for all what it is." Ryou seriously said.

"You could always bring her here." Raina calmly said, looking at Ryou.

"As much as I appreciate that; I've already promised the kids they could play at the park." Ryou calmly said before trying to leave.

"What'd the bastard do this time?" Sesshomaru asked, closing his eyes.

"Hmm?" Ryou asked, looking back at Sesshomaru.

"You know this girl—but do you know her family life?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at her.

"What are you talking about?" Ryou asked, stepping over to Sesshomaru.

"Well, look who's in love. Keomi herself, is a great kid—a great girl. She babysat my twins last year a few times—until her stepfather made her quit. Hana and Hina both said that he came over, burst through the door, and drug Keomi away. In every sense of the word, her stepfather is abusive. I still got her back for one more job before not seeing her again. I know how abusive the man is: Physically: She was always showing up with some kind of bruise or cut. Mentally/Emotionally: She has depression and shows up feeling like crap. Sexually: There's was never any proof, but I'm sure he's done something to her." Sesshomaru explained, looking at Ryou.

"Just who is this man?" Kagome was the first to ask.

"Naraku Kumo." Sesshomaru simply said, causing Kagome to slide down to her knees in shock.

"Why would her mother subject her children to that man?" Kagome asked, shaking in shock.

"Her mom's a crack-whore. I do my research. She has an older brother on their deceased father's side; he blames them all for his death. Her older sister moved away as soon as she could; she has two kids of her own and is divorced. Her sister lost everything but her kids to her ex, so she lives in a small two-bedroom apartment; Keomi doesn't want to impose, saying there's not enough space." Sesshomaru explained.

"I'll see you all later." Ryou quickly said, immediately taking off.

"I'm going with. Someone's got to snap some sense into that girl." Sesshomaru sighed, following Ryou out.

"Well—what kind of a buddy would I be if I let him handle this by himself?" Trunk asked, getting up and followed them.

"Well, I'm going with them." Kagome said, determined, leaving the room.

"We should go as well." Usagi said sadly; she'd love to help.

"Tohru?" Raina asked, looking at the only one left.

"Hatori said he'd get the kids; I'll go help. Keomi needs all the help she can get." Tohru said, determined as she followed everyone else.

"Umm…" Keomi said, looking past Ryou.

"Ain't nothing I can do about them; they're all worried. However, not in front of the kids…" Ryou said seriously as they all walked to the park.

It took about half an hour or so, but they eventually got Keomi to leave that place—that man.

She would be moving in with Ryou and his kids; she'd be in the spare room down the hall from Ryou.

Without any incident (because mom was passed out & Naraku was just out), they (Keomi & the guys) got Keomi's cats and pretty much all of their things.

. Kagome left to get and watch over her and Sesshomaru's children

. Usagi had to go pick up Chibiusa from her friend, Rei's

. Tohru offered to stay, but Sesshomaru told her to go because it was safer that way

. Ryou called Sakura and Shintaro and let them know what was going on; they picked up the older kids from him

. Trunks had called Teddy and let her know what was going on; Kaido went to pick her and Knickers up while Lily was with Vegeta…


End file.
